Firearm safety box



March 7, 1967 M. E. LENTZ 3,307,755

F IREARM SAFETY BOX Filed Oct. 22, 1965 5 Sheets-$heet 1 INVENTOR.MORGAN ERNEST LEA/7'2 BY WWW 1W FEGB March 7, 1967 M. E. LENTZ 3,307,755

F IREARM SAFETY BOX Filed Oct. 22, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.MORGAN ERNEST LEA/7'2 BY @uo lb 11M United States Patent 3,307,755FIREARM SAFETY BOX Morgan E. Lentz, 60 Addison Ave., Rutherford, NJ.07070 Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 501,447 4 Claims. (Cl. 224-2) In thepast newspaper accounts and word of mouth have recounted the numerousaccidents and tragedies associated with the accidental discharge offirearms.

A gun owner naturally must have a safe storage means to protect a gunagainst accidental discharge or misuse. While the present invention isof great aid in protecting any firearm, it is particularly effective inthe protection of the firearm used for target purposes.

While the safety box of the present invention is fail safe if properlyused in conjunction with an automatic pistol, it is nonetheless anadvance of prior devices in providing safety with regard to revolversalso. Besides providing safety, the integrity of the use of a box orcovering device also has the advantage of not exposing unnecessarily thefact that the device of the present invention encloses a weapon. Whilelocking means have been provided in the past, the inclusion of acombination lock provides a further degree of safety integrity againstthe unauthorized use of a key by another.

In the past the mere enclosure of a firearm in a closure or lockableenclosure has not been protection against unauthorized or accidentaluse. In particular, such protection of the past has not protectedagainst the accidental discharge of a loaded weapon, either from withinthe enclosure or after removal, authorized or unauthorized, from theenclosure.

Complicated devices of the past have provided some form of lock on thetrigger guard (that is, aside from the normal gun safety mechanism)inhibiting the pulling of a trigger, thus discharging a loaded firearm.Some devices have, especially in the case of revolvers, provided rodslocked in the barrels of guns inhibiting rotation of the cylinderagainst the firing of a loaded chamber in position to be fired.

According to the present invention, a firearm safety box is providedwith a safety rod in connection with an effective box assuring that afirearm has no bullet in its chamber while properly in such box.

In the case of an automatic firearm there is the further assurance thatthere is no bullet in the gun at all. The safety box may not be lockedunless the chamber is empty and the box itself can only accommodate andlock the firearm for which it is intended.

This latter feature is important in the protection of target pistolswhich, when closed in the box of the present invention and locked with acombination lock, assures the owner that he has his own gun and that itcannot be discharged, nor easily removed from its box by an unauthorizedperson.

Although such novel feature or features believed to be characteristic ofthe invention are pointed out in the claims, the invention and themanner in which it may be carried out may be further understood byreference to the description following and the accompanying drawmgs.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the present invention, showinga partially cut-away firearm.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of another embodiment of the presentinvention adapted for use with a revolver.

FIG. 4 is a view of FIG. 1 at lines 44.

FIG. 5 is a view of FIG. 4 at lines 55.

FIG. 6 is a view of FIG. 1 at lines 6-6.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of FIG. 1 without a firearm inside.

Patented Mar. 7, 1967 'FIG. 8 is a plan view of another embodiment ofthe present invention, showing a partially cut-away firearm.

FIG. 9 is a front elevation of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a view of FIG. 8 at lines 10-10.

FIG. 11 is a view of FIG. 8 at lines 11-11.

Referring now to the figures in greater detail, where like referencenumbers denote like parts in the various figures.

In FIG. 1 the firearm safety box 1 is shown in open position with anautomatic pistol 2 in safety position. The safety rod 3 is inserted intothe barrel 4. The safety rod 3 end is preferably of a length to extendthe entire length of the barrel and the bullet chamber 5. The safety rod3 does not in FIG. I extend such full length, but it may be advisable tohave such length for absolute security. The loop 6 in the safety rod 3is a convenience adapted to receive the chain 7 which is connected tothe firearm safety box 1 so that the safety rod 3 may not get separatedfrom the firearm safety box 1.

A clip safety rod 8 is rotatably mounted on a mount ing bar 9 which isintegrally mounted in the firearm safety box 1.

The positioning of the mounting bar 9 is particularly gauged so thatonly the particular model automatic pistol 2 may fit into the firearmsafety box 1. The thickness of the inside dimension of the firearmsafety box 1 is such that the automatic pistol 2 will fit snugly insidethe firearm safety box 1 and the firearm safety box 1 could nototherwise close with another firearm placed in the firearm safety box 1even if the safety rod 3 and clip safety rod 8 were properly engageable.

A bracket 10 forms a further guide for the outside of the barrel 4providing secure engagement of the automatic pistol 2 in the firearmsafety box 1.

The area described by the bracket 10 may serve as a convenientreceptacle for the holding of the automatic pistol 2, clip 11 and anammunition box 12 or other accessories. The snugness of fit keeps theautomatic pistol 2 from jiggling once the firearm safety box 1 is closedas shown in FIG. 2.

The front portion 13 of the safety rod 3 is adapted to actuate lock openmechanism 14 as shown in FIGS. 1, 4, 5 and 7.

When the safety rod 3 is not engaged snugly in the angulated slot 15 aspring 16 engaged in a cavity 17 extends a detent 18, whose upward anddownward movement is limited by a pin 19 in a channel 20. The detent 18is normally unremoveable and guided by walls 21.

In its extended position the detent 18 is under engaged by a detent 22which is actuated by a spring 23 engaged in a cavity 24 in the detent 22and compressed against the outer wall 25 of the lock open mechanism 14.The detent 22 is guided by guides 26, 27 so that it neatly slides underthe detent 18 in normal open position.

Integral to the detent 22 are pins 28, 29 which are substantiallyvertically set.

When an automatic pistol 2 is properly engaged with a safety rod 3, thesafety rod 3 slides along the slot 15 against the pin 28, moving itbackward against the pressure of its spring 23, drawing the detent 22from under the detent 18, allowing movement of the detent 18 within therange allowed by its channel 20.

While the spring 23 normally acts to reactivate the locking between thedetents 18, 22, failure of the spring may be overcome normally to lockthe detents 18, 22 as the safety rod 3 is removed by pushing the detent22 into locked position with pressure against pin 29. When an automaticpistol 2 is not safely engaged in the firearm safety box 1, the firearmsafety box 1 cannot close as shown in FIG. 7.

For convenience, the firearm safety box 1 may have a back portion 30 anda top 31 joined by hinges 32, 33

3 whose pins 34, 35 are only accessible from the inside when the firearmsafety box 1 is closed as a safety precaution against unauthorizedentry. I

Once the automatic pistol 2 is safely engaged in the firearm safety box1, the top 31 may be closed and locked with the teeth 36 engaged in thecombination lock 37. The combination lock 37 is preferable topersonalize the protection of the firearm safety box 1 and have only theowner or authorized person have the combination available to him andprevent against ke'y loss and unauthorized use.

As a matter of convenience, the firearm safety box 1 is generallycovered with a protective lining 38. For target use the firearm safetybox 1 may lie fiat with both hinges 32, 33 covering the back 30 and top31. A patch 39 serves as a marker for placing the automatic pistol 2when not in use at a range or other target shooting.

In use, the automatic pistol 2 is engaged with the safety rod 3 and clipsafety rod 8. In this position, it is both impossible for a bullet to bein the chamber 5 and for a clip 11 to be in the automatic pistol 2 withor without bullets in it. One prior danger was that although the chamber5 might be empty, the clip 11 in the automatic pistol 2 might still havelive bullets in it, rendering dangerous a gun removed from the firearmsafety box 1. Once put away, the user of automatic pistol 2 can feelsecure that there can be no accidental discharge of a weapon removedfrom the firearm safety box 1 until it has been consciously loaded.

Where a bullet is in the chamber 5, the safety rod 3 cannot be engagedin the lock open mechanism 14 and the detent 18 must remain in extendedposition. Where the automatic pistol 2 is fully safe, the gentlepressure of closing the top 31 depresses the detent 18, allowing thefirearm safety box 1 to be locked and carried as desired, or by itshandle 40.

In FIG. 3 a revolver 41 is provided with a conforming shaped innerportion 42. The firearm safety box 1 works the same way except theprotection of the clip safety rod 8 is not provideable.

Security is provided in this instance such that the revolver 41 cannotbe discharged and the cylinder may not be rotated, but no assurance maybe had that all of the chambers 43 are unloaded.

In FIGS. 9, and 11, a further embodiment of the present invention isshown. In this instance, a molded or conformed template 44 is providedin the firearm safety box 45 to conform to the exact contours of thebarrel portion 46 of the particular model automatic pistol 47. The topportion 48 of the firearm safety box 45 is provided with a flexiblematerial 49 such as sponge rubber to securely hold the automatic pistol47 in the template 44 and to protect the automatic pistol 47 againstdamage.

Since the stocks 50 of even similar models of automatic pistol 47 mayvary, a flexible portion 51 is provided which can adapt to a selectionof stocks 50.

The safety rod 52 is rotatably engaged on a pivot 53 engaged through thetemplate 44 as shown in FIG. 10 and is of a length to fit into thechamber 54 of the automatic pistol 47. A clip safety finger 55 protrudesfrom the wall 56 of the bottom portion 57 of the firearm safety box 45into the clip opening 58 of the automatic pistol 47.

A utility area 59 and a clip rack 60 are provided in the bottom portion57 for convenience.

It has been found useful to provide two locks 61 since for the simplecombination lock as used in the prior embodiment, a diligent test of1,000 combinations might open the box, whereas with locks 61, theycombine to require 100,000 combinations so as to make the locks 61 ineffect tamper proof. The teeth 62 engage the locks 61. The firearmsafety box 45 may be provided with a plurality of handles 63 for theconvenience of opening, closing and carrying.

In placing the automatic pistol 47 in the firearm safety box 45, theshape of the template 44 and the safety block 64 in the top 48underneath the flexible material 49 prevent the wrong gun being placedin the firearm safety box 45 since a smaller one would not match thetemplate 44, the diameter of the safety rod 52 or match the combinationof the elements of the clip safety finger 55 so that the firearm safetybox 45 could close.

While it is not necessary to have a mirror image template, the safetyblock 64 further provides a width limitation preventing the firearmsafety box 45 from closing with the wrong automatic pistol 47.

The proper automatic pistol 47 may be easily rotated on the safety rod52 and when the clip opening 58 is free of a clip, the automatic pistol47 fits neatly and safely in place and the firearm safety box 45 may beeasily closed and locked with full assurance of no bullets in a loadedclip and no bullets in the chamber 54.

The terms and expressions which are employed are used as terms ofdescription; it is recognized, though, that various modifications arepossible within the scope of the invention claimed.

Having thus described certain forms of the invention in some detail,what is claimed is:

1. A firearm safety box comprising a box structure, a template, saidtemplate adapted to receive the upper part of a selected firearm, asafety rod, said safety rod rotatably attached to said template, saidsafety rod adapted to fit into the barrel of said selected firearm andsaid firearm having an opening adapted to receive a bullet clip, saidsafety rod adapted to extend into the chamber of said firearm, a safetyfinger adapted to fit into the bullet clip opening of said firearm, andsaid box being in closeable condition when said safety rod is engagedextending into the chamber of said firearm and said safety finger isinterposed in said bullet clip opening.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said box includes a closure lock.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said lock is a combination lock.

4. The invention of claim 2 wherein the top of said box includes a blockadapted to limit the thickness of the barrel of said gun fitting in saidbox to a selected thickness.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,327,334 8/1943Parker 42l 2,887,807 5/1959 Santangelo 42-1 3,031,069 4/1962 Hirsch206l6 2,803,909 8/1957 SOSki et a1. 224-2 X FOREIGN PATENTS 97,3296/1898 Germany.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner, F. WERNER, Assistant Examiner,

1. A FIREARM SAFETY BOX COMPRISING A BOX STRUCTURE, A TEMPLATE, SAIDTEMPLATE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE UPPER PART OF A SELECTED FIREARM, ASAFETY ROD, SAID SAFETY ROD ROTATABLY ATTACHED TO SAID TEMPLATE, SAIDSAFETY ROD ADAPTED TO FIT INTO THE BARREL OF SAID SELECTED FIREARM ANDSAID FIREARM HAVING AN OPENING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A BULLET CLIP, SAIDSAFETY ROD ADAPTED TO EXTEND INTO THE CHAMBER OF SAID FIREARM, A SAFETYFINGER ADAPTED TO FIT INTO THE BULLET CLIP OPENING OF SAID FIREARM, ANDSAID BOX BEING IN CLOSEABLE CONDITION WHEN SAID SAFETY ROD IN ENGAGEDEXTENDING INTO THE CHAMBER OF SAID FIREARM AND SAID SAFETY FINGER ISINTERPOSED IN SAID BULLET CLIP OPENING.